One benefit of mindfulness that can often be overlooked by professionals is time management. Being mindful and seeing things from a clearer perspective helps you manage your time better. This is especially beneficial for teams and individuals who manage events.
Event professionals love preparing conferences, trade exhibitions, virtual networking opportunities, and workshops, but they understand that things can easily get off track without proper planning and time management skills.
You already know the long hours you have to spend just to manage the long list of tasks ahead of you, from booking an event venue to staying on top of paperwork. So if you’re looking for a way to survive one event after another, we’ve got you covered! Below are some time management tips you can take into consideration to make the process of planning an event a little smoother and easier. Read on!
1. Define Your Goals and Work Towards Them
Before any event, it’s crucial to establish your goals and keep them in mind while you plan. Ensure that you’re participating in activities that support your event objectives.
As much as possible, avoid any tasks that do not directly relate to your event’s goals, as they will only waste your time.
2. Plan Ahead and Prepare For The Unexpected
Have a clear understanding of what has to be done each day to minimize daily stress.
You can do this by taking a few moments before the day ends, or the very first thing in the morning, to plan the tasks you need to check off your list before the day is over. Additionally, it’s essential to allow for unforeseen events by leaving some time open.
As you may already know, you’ll frequently face unforeseen circumstances as an event professional. Having this in mind will help you set aside time for any situations that may arise.
3. Delegate Whenever and Wherever You Can
Event professionals love working on every last detail to ensure that nothing goes wrong before, during, and after their events. The thing is that going overboard can quickly result in mistakes and wasted time. It might even hamper your work-life balance!
Don’t hesitate to delegate if you have dedicated event staff. Take advantage of the special skills that your team has to offer! By doing this, you might even find out that one team member is amazing at finding sponsors while another is great at social media marketing.
Delegating also enables other members of your event team to advance professionally, raising team morale and enhancing time management along the way.
4. Identify Quick Wins and Act On Them
There are many different responsibilities, both big and small, that go into effective event preparation and management.
When creating your event strategy, make a list of things you can accomplish in a few minutes or less. Then, finish a few tasks on the list whenever you have some free time. This helps you stay productive while freeing up time to work on more significant and time-consuming tasks.
Plus, crossing things off your to-do list, even small 5-minute tasks, will make you feel great!
5. Take a Break Every Now and Then
The work of an event planner never stops, so you’re probably busy from sunup to sundown. This could seem like a productive use of time, but it’s actually damaging—for you and the work you do.
Make time for yourself, whether it be for a little afternoon stroll, a coffee break, or just a few minutes to hit the gym. Effective time management includes taking a few moments to rest your mind and body.
Working nonstop will only speed up your burnout, causing you to lose time later down the road when you’re utterly exhausted.
6. Say No When You Need To
You’ll eventually need to develop the ability to say “no” at some point in your event management career if you want to keep your own sanity and well-being. And, trust us, now’s the best time to do so if you haven’t yet.
If you feel as though you’re continuously stretched way too thin, it’s best to reassess your priorities and scale back on your responsibilities. Keep in mind that it is better to decline some tasks so that you can concentrate on the most important ones.
7. Make The Most Of Event Technologies
Event professionals like you and your team can simplify tasks and work more effectively with event management technologies.
Whether you’re planning a one-day workshop or a large-scale hybrid event, integrating some of the best tools and end-to-end solutions can help you better manage time from start to finish.
8. Pre-Record Event Content
When it comes to events, there’s a lot of pressure to deliver digital content live, such as when internet connections fail or when it’s unclear how well a speaker’s microphone is set up, etc. These problems will make you feel more stressed on the day of the event.
Why not try pre-recording some of your event content? These can be anything from keynote sessions to sponsor commercials that can then be scheduled to go live in your event application at the right time on the right channel.
If your event programming is queued up and scheduled in advance, you’ll have more time during the event to work on other event management tasks.
Time Management Is The Secret To Successful Events
Time management is a requirement for all event professionals. By learning to better manage your time and reduce stress, you can make the entire event planning process more fun and efficient!
We hope that the time management strategies we’ve listed above will help you prepare for your next event. With determination and practice, you’ll be able to lower your stress levels, save time, and improve the success of your events in no time!
For more tips on productivity and workplace mindfulness, check out Timeqube’s articles today.